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Lily (metal and tropical)
The Lily (リリー) are Japanese plate folders made by Rokuoh-sha, manufacturing branch of Konishiroku (predecessor of Konica). This page is about the models made after the introduction of a metal body in 1930, including the Tropical Lily despite its wooden construction. These models exist in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm size. For the earlier wooden models, see Lily (wooden). Description The Lily has a metal body and folding struts hinged in the middle, inspired from the Voigtländer Bergheil models. The U-shaped front standard allows vertical movements, controlled by a small knob at the top of the right-hand branch, and horizontal movements, controlled by two small knobs at the base. The bellows have true double extension, and there is a small focusing wheel at the end of the folding bed, on the photographer's right, and a distance scale on the left. There is a collapsible brilliant finder offset to the left at the top of the front standard, and a wireframe hinged to the front standard. The most advanced models add a second focusing wheel on the left, and even an Albada finder on the left-hand side of the body (see below). There is a leather handle at the top, and the folding bed release is on the right-hand side of the body. The name Lily is normally inscribed in cursive script in a round escutcheon inside the folding bed. The original ground glass hood has the name Rokuoh-sha embossed in the leather, and the metal plate holders also have ROKUOH-SHA inscribed in relief. Evolution Original 1930 model The metal Lily models were released in 1930. Tanaka, p.35 of no.10. The original 1930 model (昭和5年型) does not have the focus lock on the focusing wheel, added on the 1934 model. The eyepiece for the wireframe finder has a rectangular shape and folds on a metal part screwed to the side plate and extending towards the front; it is smaller than that of the 1934 model. The 1930 Lily is reported with the following lens and shutter combinations: * Tessar f/4.5 lens by Carl Zeiss, rim-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm; Pictured in 6.5×9cm size in , item 1123, in , p.538 and in this page at ksmt. * Radionar f/4.5 lens by Schneider, rim-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm; Pictured in 6.5×9cm size in , item 1124. * Tessar f/4.5 lens by Carl Zeiss, dial-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm; Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of no.10. * Heliar f/4.5 lens by Voigtländer, dial-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm; Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of no.10. * Trinar f/4.5 lens by Rodenstock, Ibsor shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm; Pictured in 8×10.5cm size in , item 1129, where it is wrongly called "Lily (Showa 8)", and in Tanaka, p.36 of no.10. Reported in 6.5×9cm size in the latter source. * Trinar f/6.3 lens by Rodenstock, Ibsor shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm; Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of no.10. It is perhaps the combination pictured in 8×10.5cm size in , p.538. * Verito f/4.8 lens by Wollensak, Betax shutter, in 8×10.5cm; Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of no.10. * Cooke f/6.8 lens, Compur shutter, in 8×10.5cm. Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of no.10. It is said that twenty examples in 6.5×9cm size were delivered to Nippon Kōgaku, to mount its first camera lens Anytar Anastigmat 12cm f/4.5 with a dial-set Compur shutter. , item 1126. At least one surviving example is known to exist, pictured in . Tropical Lily The Tropical Lily (トロピカルリリー) was released in 1931, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm size. It has a body made of teak and frosted metal fittings. The bellows is made of maroon leather, and the parts which are black lacquered on the regular model are painted maroon on the Tropical Lily. The shape and features are otherwise similar to the 1930 model. The name TROPICAL Lily is written inside the folding bed, instead of the mere Lily of the regular model. The Tropical Lily was offered with the rim-set Compur shutter and a choice of three lenses: the Tessar f/4.5 by Carl Zeiss, the Heliar f/4.5 by Voigtländer and the Hexar f/4.5 by Rokuoh-sha itself. Tanaka, p.37 of no.10, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. Th Hexar f/4.5 was the first camera lens made in Japan, and was first mounted on the Tropical Lily, in 11.5cm or 10.5cm focal length for 6.5×9cm size and in 13.5cm focal length for 8×10.5cm. First mounted on the Tropical Lily: Tanaka, p.37 of no.10, Lewis, p.183, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. A surviving example in 6.5×9cm size is pictured with the Hexar Ser.1 11.5cm f/4.5 in no.10, and another with the Hexar Ser.1 10.5cm f/4.5 in . Hexar Ser.1 11.5cm: example pictured on the cover page of no.10, and in Tanaka, on p.37 of the same magazine. The lens has no.2741. Hexar Ser.1 10.5cm: example pictured in the first colour pages in , and as item 1125. The lens has no.3129. An example in 8×10.5cm size is pictured with the Hexar Ser.1 13.5cm f/4.5 in Lewis. Example pictured in Lewis, p.47. The lens has no.1532x. Examples with the Tessar lens are known in 6.5×9cm size and in 8×10.5cm size. 6.5×9cm: example pictured in , p.545, and example pictured here and here at Ito Collection. 8×10.5cm: example pictured in Tanaka, p.37 of no.10. No example with Heliar lens has been observed so far. Notes Bibliography * Item 314. * Pp.46–7, 54 and 183. * Pp.538 and 545. * Items 1123–34. (See also the colour pictures at the beginning.) * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Konica history 4. Taishō 12-nen – Shōwa 8-nen." (Konica history 4. 大正12年–昭和8年. From Taishō year 12 (1923) to Shōwa year 8 (1933).) Pp.33–8. (See also the cover page of the magazine.) * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Konica history 5. Shōwa 8-nen – 20-nen." (Konica history 5. 昭和8年–20年. From Shōwa year 8 (1933) to Shōwa year 20 (1945).) Pp.40–4. Links In Japanese: * Lily (1930 model) at ksmt.com * New Lily in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * Tropical Lily, also in a page of tropical cameras, at the Ito Collection (the picture of the first page is distorted) * Pages of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website: ** Lily cameras ** Hexar lenses ** Camera list Category: Japanese 6.5x9 folding Category: Japanese 8x10.5 folding Category: Konica Category: L